Cart



Patented Sept. l5, 1925.

UNITED STATES DURBIN A. SWAR-TSEL, 0F CINGINN ATI, OHIO.

CART.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 443,266.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DURBIN A. SWARTSEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a cart for easily and rapidly conveying receptacles such as milk cans from one part of a building to another, or from a building to freight cars or motor trucks, or for use in bottling and storage houses.

The object of my invention is to provide a ready, simple, convenient and economical means for conveying milk cans by moving my improved device thereagainst, and having means for grasping the neck of the milk can, and means for engaging the handles of the milk cans and elevating them clear of the floor by a minimum of effort; also the placing 0f the milk Cans in close proximity to one another, and to also be enabled to lift and remove such cans from a number set in close proximity to one another.

My invention consists in providing a cart comprising a. rigidly and substantially constructed frame having wheels and mechanism for lifting and supporting the can clear of the floor, and operating means convenient to the hand of the person using the cart. i

My invention also consists of the `parts and combination and arrangements of parts as herein set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the lower part of my invention illustrating` the mounting of the wheels and construction of the supporting members;

Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the upper end of my invention illustrating the mechanism for operating the grasping arms, the arms being in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section illustrating the antifriction construction of the wheels and their attachment to the frame; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing my invention in use and having a milk can held and locked therein.

In the embodiment of my invention as illustrated and which shows a preferred construction, a cantilever frame 11 comprises an upper cross-member 12 tical supports 13 mounted in sockets 14 and there held in place by set screws 15. The lower ends of the vertical supports 13 are received in sockets 16 in gusset members 17 and secured by set screws 18. A lower crossmember 19 secured in bores 2O of gusset members by set screws 21 serves to hold the gusset members in spaced apart relation. rIhe upper cross-member 12 has a socket 22 in which the inner end of beam 23 is received and held in place by bolt 24. The beam is further supported as by having a socket yoke 25 received thereabout, and dist-anced from the cross-member and secured by bolt 26. The yoke has sockets 27 depending therefrom in which the upper ends of diagonal braces 28 are received and secured in place by set screws 29. The lower ends of the angularl braces are received in sockets 30 in gusset members 17 and secured in place by set screws 31. The construction described thus forms an extremely rigid cantilever frame.

I provide means for supported by vergrasping and holding neck 35 of a milk can 36, which has flange 37 on its upper end. Thus 38 are ygrasping arms having upwardly turned engaging ngers 39. The arms are pivoted as by studs 40 on pivot member 41 secured to the beam, distanced from the cross-member 12. Slideways 42 preferably located on the crosseso` member directly over the vertical supports,

form a support for arms 38. The arms are operated by toggle links 43, having their outer ends pivoted to arms at 44 and their inner ends with one end of operating rod 45 by pivot 46. The other end of the rod has an eye 47 received about bolt 48 in operating lever 49. The operating lever is pivoted on pivot bolts 50 passing through tangs 51 of fork 52 formed on the lever.

The tangs of the fork are received between lugs 53 of yoke 54 secured to the beam by a bolt 55. A space is thus created between lugs 52 to enable the operating rod to pass therethrough when the lever is in locked position. Handle 57 is formed on the outer end of the lever for manually operating the same. i

For holding the grasping arms in their' proper position when the operating lever is drawn back, guiding fingers 58 and 59 are formed on the upper cross member and project upward to either side of the operating lll rod 45. The guiding fingers are so located as to be to the rear of the limit of movement of the links 48. The rod is thus guided and held against lateral movement and the grasping arms compelled to hold the milk can in a central position on the cart.

To enable me to easily roll the cart about, I provide wheels 60, preferablyjournalled by antifriction bearings 6l on the outer end 62 of lower cross-member A19. rlhe wheels are held against endwise movement by being received between the gusset members and washers held in place by Cotter pins 6G in the outer end G2 of the lower crossmember.

To sustain the weight and steady the body of the receptacle carried, l provide carrying rest 67, which preferably is of curved form as shown at G8, and secured to the frame below the grasping hooks. rlhe curved carrying rest is secured to the uprights 13, as by brackets 69, having bearings received thcreabout, and securely fastened in place by set screws 7l. Bolts 712 passing through holes in flanges 7 3 of the brackets and threaded into carrying rest 67, securely fasten it in place. The carrying rest forms an additional cross-member, further adding rigidity to the frame.

Means are provided for engaging the handle of receptacles that do not have necks and flanges. Thus 7 6 is in a hook member having an upwardly projecting pointed end 77 forming a bearing 7 8 for engaging the grip of the handle.

For manually propelling and guiding the cart about and for lifting the receptacle carried from the floor, l provide handles 7 9 secured in the outer end of the beam Q8.

ln practice handle 79 is grasped by the person operating the cart and operating lever 49 is placed in the forward position (Fig. l) thereby spreading the grasping arms 38 apart. The cart is then moved up to the milk can or other receptacle with the handle end of the cantilever frame elevated, one of the grasping arms passing on each side of the neck, and under flange 37. Sufficient downward movement of the beam is now made to permit the grasping arms to contact the bottom of the flange of the milk can. The operating lever is then pulled toii'ard the opera-tor, drawing the grasping arms about. the neck of the milk can, by the action of the toggle links a3 and operating rod 45, the upwardly turned fingers forcing the body of the milk can against the carrying rest 67. rlhe grasping arms are locked in place by placing the handle in contact with the upper surface of the beam as shown in Fig. 6. Pivot bolts 50 in tangs 51 are so located as to permit. the bolt i8 to come to rest below the plane of said pivot bolts or beyond the Vdead center, the rod passing through space 56 betweeny the lugs of the tang. Pressure is then exerted in a downward direction against the outer end ot the beam, the cantilever frame acting as a powerful lever with the wheels as a fulcrum,

the weight being partly sustained through the arms on the slideways 42, and partly on the carrying rest 67. The receptacle is thus lifted clear of the floor with very little effort, and the weight. disposed over the antifriction wheels and easily moved to such location as desired.

Should it be desired to move a receptacle without a neck and flange, but having liandies only, the cart is moved up as before with the grasping arms spread apart and the handle end of the beam elevated. lV hen the beam is depressed the handle of the receptacle is engaged by hook member 7 G, the grip of the handle resting in bearing 78. The receptacle can then be moved to such location as desired.

wWhile l have shown and described a particular construction it will be apparent that my invention is capable of some modification witho'ut departing from the scope or spirit thereof as defined in the claims.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cart for carrying milk cans and the like, a cantilever frame having studs thereon, a plurality of grasping arms rockable on said studs, upwardly turned retaining fingers formed on the outer ends of said arms for engaging the necks of milk cans, a pair of toggle levers the outer ends of which are pivoted to said arms intermediate of the retaining fingers and the studs, an operating rod having onel end pivoted to the inner ends of said toggle levers, a plurality of guiding fingers secured to said frame and passing to either side of said rod for holding` said grasping arms, links and rod in position, an operating lever pivoted to the frame, and a handle formed on the free end of said op erating lever, said operating rod being pivoted to said lever intermediate of its pivotal point and the handle, said pivotal point so located as to be above the plane of pivotal connection of the Operating rod with the lever when the handle .of the lever is in con tact with the frame to form a locking means for the grasping arms.

2. In a cart for carrying milk cans and the like, a cantilever frame, a grasping means, a locking and opei'ating means there for, a mechanical connection between said grasping means and said locking and operating means, a lever, a pivotal connection on said cantilever frame for said lever comprising a pair of tangs on said lever forming afork, a yoke secured to said frame, lugs on said yoke between which said tangs of said fork are received and pivot bolts passing through each of the said lugs and tangs, the said lugs and tangs forming a space therebetween so arranged as to permit said mechanical connection to pass between and past said pivotal connection, a handle formed on the other end of said lever, said mechanical connection being pivoted to said lever at a point intermediate of said handle and said pivotal connection, said pivotal connection so placed as to be above the plane of attachments of the mechanical connection with said lever when said handle thereon is in contact with said frame.

3. ln a cart for carrying milk cans, a cantilever frame, grasping means extending substantially in alinement with and pivotally connected to one end of said frame and adapted to grasp the necks of said milk cans adjacent the tops thereof, a locking and op erating means therefor, a handle l'ixed to the other end of said frame and adjacent said operating means and a mechanical connection between said grasping means and said locking and operating` means and extending parallel with said trame.

4. In a cart for carrying milk cans, a cantilever fra-me, downwardly curved grasping` means substantially in alinement with and pivotally connected to one end ot said frame and adapted to grasp the necks of said milk cans adjacent the tops thereof, a locking` and operating mea-ns therefor, a handle fixed to the other end of said trame and adjacent said operating means and a me chanical connection between said grasping means and said looking` and operating means and extending parallel with said frame.

In a cart for carrying` milk cans, a cantilever frame, wheels mounted thereon, grasping means extending substantially in alinement with and pivotally connected to one end of said :trame and adapted to grasp the necks ot saidmilk cans adjacent the tops thereof, a locking and operatinp` means therefor, a handle iiXed to the other end ot said frame and adjacent said operating,` means and a mechanical connection between said grasping means and said locking and operating means and extending' parallel with said trame and means adjacent said wheels adapted to engage the lower part of said cans, whereby the cans are maintained in a liXed position relative to said cart when being` conveyed from place to place.

DURBIN A. SWARTSEL. 

